If someone said in past that SH would beat Dartmouth,they would have been laughed at! But,it's a team or program one can not find much about re. media articles. They have some RI players which is interesting to me personally.
Does anyone in AGS community know anything about the program? For instance long-term goals,commitment,etc.? Be interested to know more.

Go...gate

September 30th, 2011, 08:48 PM

Ditto that. That was a nice win over a program with great tradition.

Bogus Megapardus

September 30th, 2011, 09:32 PM

Marist beat Sacred Heart 20-7 earlier in the season. The Pioneers also lost to Bryant 26-6.

Dartmouth QB Conner Kempe blamed to loss on the fact that they all were looking past Sacred Heart and to taking on Penn this weekend - who look vulnerable, apparently. “I think at times we took them for granted, having beaten them last season,” Big Green quarterback Conner Kempe ’12 said. “The Penn game has been the buzz on campus and I think that it was at the back of everybody’s mind.”

http://thedartmouth.com/2011/09/26/sportsweekly/football

Speaking of "buzz," Buddy Teevens suspended Kempe "indefinitely" back in April after he was arrested in Hanover for possession of marijuana. There seems to be a lot of that going around lately.

Given the Pioneers' less-than-stellar performances in games other than vs Dartmouth, I wouldn't read to much into it until we see how they do at Central Connecticut State this weekend.

crusader11

September 30th, 2011, 09:45 PM

I think Penn has their way with Dartmouth tomorrow. They'll be out to prove something after losses to Lafayette and Nova.

Bogus Megapardus

September 30th, 2011, 09:59 PM

Didn't Dartmouth start playing Sacred Heart so they wouldn't have to play UNH and Holy Cross any more?

I guess up in Hanover they're thinking that Lafayette sucks, so Penn must really suck. I'm going to have to check on Dartmouth's last win vs. Penn.

EDIT - Dartmouth is 3 of its last 18 vs. Penn with the last win in 2007 at home.

UAalum72

September 30th, 2011, 10:03 PM

Yeah Dartmouth looked past them because SHU missed a 30-yard FG at the gun last year. Two-point wins at home should always make you overconfident.

Sacred Heart's football program started in 1991. They went 29-3 from 2000-2002 (undefeated NEC champ in 2001) and 8-3 in 2008 but not much otherwise.

I remember reading long ago that they wanted to use sports to grow enrollment. With 4,100 students they sponsor 31 varsity sports, 10 JV teams and 26 club sports. They won the Division II men's basketball championship in 1986 in their old gym, the SHU Box.

aceinthehole

October 1st, 2011, 11:11 AM

Yeah Dartmouth looked past them because SHU missed a 30-yard FG at the gun last year. Two-point wins at home should always make you overconfident.

Sacred Heart's football program started in 1991. They went 29-3 from 2000-2002 (undefeated NEC champ in 2001) and 8-3 in 2008 but not much otherwise.

I remember reading long ago that they wanted to use sports to grow enrollment. With 4,100 students they sponsor 31 varsity sports, 10 JV teams and 26 club sports. They won the Division II men's basketball championship in 1986 in their old gym, the SHU Box.

Good summary. SHU is using D-I athletics to grow the university. Its a very young school - established in the 1960s by the layity of the Diocese of Bridgeport. Although it is still primarly a commuter school, they brand themselves as the 2nd largest Catholic university in New England. They were a very good D-II program in hoops and other sports.

Based on the number of sports they offer, they are using athletics to increase enrollment, and a sense of campus community. They are never going to be an athletic or academic powerhouse, but I think they want to follow in the footsteps of schools like Fairfield University, Holy Cross, etc.

As for the football team. They are rebuilding, but they are a program with some potential. They played Dartmouth very well last year, losing by a point or two, and then beat them this year. They are 10+ years into the D-I transtion and are a program that shouldn't be ingnored.

Bogus Megapardus

October 1st, 2011, 03:25 PM

Sacred Heart 37 - Central Connecticut State 24.

It would seem that the Pioneers indeed have a team this season.

Go...gate

October 1st, 2011, 04:32 PM

NEC seems very competitive this year. Watched some of the Monmouth - RMU game which was won by previously-winless RMU.

danefan

October 1st, 2011, 04:34 PM

NEC seems very competitive this year. Watched some of the Monmouth - RMU game which was won my previously-winless RMU.

The league is wide open, but no really strong team. If Albany could only recruit a QB......

crusader11

October 2nd, 2011, 10:42 PM

Ace, any reports from the CCSU-SHU game?

danefan

October 3rd, 2011, 05:55 AM

Ace, any reports from the CCSU-SHU game?

I think Ace probably jumped into the Connecticut River.

aceinthehole

October 3rd, 2011, 09:55 AM

Yep and I'm all wet. Here's how bad it was. From our beat reporter's blog: